> The Fall of Gallopfrey > by CraftyVision > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Regeneration (2018 REWRITE) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- In a deep corner of space, a tiny blue box hovered and twirled about. Inside lay an entire world of adventures. This blue box has saved countless lives, and the creature inside is considered the most feared being in the entire universe. This being is said to have ended entire races before. Inside, behind a large centre console, a cocoa brown stallion removed his necktie and turned the computer monitor to face him. Some ponies’ stories begin here. However, for this Time Pony, a story ends tonight. After undoing his necktie, the stallion looks down at his hooves. "I don't want to go." The Time Pony sighed sadly, looking down at his hooves which began to glow a vibrant golden hue. He suddenly burst into flames consisting of pure energy. As he became engulfed in the flames, his physical form began to change. His mane grew itself out, his fur changed colour, and other physical aspects began to shift. When the flames dissipated, a slate grey earth pony with a dark grey mane stepped out. "Ah!" The Doctor exclaimed, "I seem to be missing something." Glancing around quickly, the Time Pony began to prance around the console. He pulled one of the levers with his mouth, and the entire ship lurched to one side. "We're crashing!" He exclaimed. As if things couldn’t get worse, the console exploded and flames spat all around the console room. The Time Pony held a mechanical device in his mouth, pressed down on the side button, and then the lurching stopped. In fact, although everything seemed to be combusting, the vehicle itself had landed somewhere. As such, the Time Pony trotted out of the blue box and stepped onto the cool grass below his hooves. "Well," He started, "It still looks like Ponyville to me." Looking around, the stallion noticed he had landed his blue box in some poor family’s backyard. He promptly turned around and tried to open the doors of the box. Unfortunately for him, the box locked itself. He began to gripe about the situation, until he heard hoofsteps behind him. Turning back to face the new pony, this stallion’s mind raced. Before him was a young unicorn cult. He had a midnight blue mane and dark grey fur. "Who..." The unicorn started, and then switched to a different question, "What is that?" He asked, pointing at the blue box behind the Time Pony. "Can I have an apple?" The Doctor asked, "All I can think about are apples." The young colt dragged the raggedy Time Pony into his home. There wasn’t too much to say about the unicorn’s bungalow. From a first glance around the place, it appeared to be a two bedroom, one bathroom, one story home with a kitchen and a joint dining and living room. When they trotted inside, the young colt levitated a fresh apple to the Time Pony. He took a bite, and spat out the chunk. "Apples are rubbish." The doctor stated as he bit into the side of the bright, red apple. "Why did you ask for one then?" Midnight asked. "You can't expect me to be in the right state of mind. I only finished regenerating." He stated. "What’s regenerating?" Midnight asked. "Nevermind. I have to do a test run on the TARDIS." He started, "Don't worry, I'll be back in five minutes." The Time Pony ran back outside to the blue box. Still smoking, he used the mechanical screwdriver to unlock the doors and he stepped inside. He turned around to see the worried expression on the colt’s face, "It will be only five minutes. Wait here." With that, the doors on the blue box shut. The box whirred and wheezed until it simply vanished. The young unicorn sat by the landing spot of the box. The Doctor was gone for more than five minutes. > The Accident > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- He stepped out of the box, and it was broad daylight. A grey unicorn with a blue mane approached him. "Midnight!" The Doctor exclaimed, "Wait. You're taller than last time. How long's it been?" "You're the Doctor." Midnight stated, "I saw you fifteen years ago! How could you leave me like that? You promised you would only be five minutes!" "I can explain," The doctor started, "The TARDIS malfunctioned." "What the hay is a TARDIS?" Midnight asked. "You see, I'm a time traveler." The Doctor stated. "Prove it." Midnight stated. To his astonishment, the Doctor pulled out an apple with a bite mark on it. Midnight instantly recognized it as the apple he gave the Doctor all those years ago. "What?" "So… Anything happen ‘round town lately?" The doctor asked, trying to make small talk. "People have been going missing in Ponyville for a little while, and weird pegasus statues are now in the park." Midnight replied, the concern showing in his face. "Weird pegasus statues?" The Doctor asked and a sudden realisation struck him, "Oh…" "Oh?" Midnight asked and sarcastically says, “Is that a good oh, or a we’re screwed oh?” "Weeping Pegasi." The Doctor stated, "Does Colgate still reside here in Ponyville?" "Colgate?" Midnight asked and then replied, “She runs the dentist office on Mane Street.” > The Time Travelling Dentist > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Colgate was so bored. She hadn't had many customers come in today, but luckily for her, she was closing up. She could finally go get a look at the Pegasi statues. Suddenly a slate grey earth pony with an hourglass cutie mark, and a darker grey unicorn entered the room. "Doctor?" Colgate asked, realizing who it was instantly. "Colgate." The Doctor replied, "Nice to see you again." "I see you found yourself a new body." Colgate stated. "Yeah," The Doctor started, "But that's a story for another time." "Hi Midnight." Colgate said. "Good morning Colgate." Midnight started, "Wait, you know the Doctor?" "We travelled together," She started, "A long time ago." "Before I met you." The Doctor finished. "And how long ago was this?" Midnight asked. "About sixteen years ago." Colgate stated. "Before he met me." Midnight concluded. "We've got bigger problems now." The Doctor stated. "The Pegasi are causing trouble." "What do you mean Pegasi?" Midnight started, "You mean those statues?" "Creatures from another world." The Doctor stated, not taking his eyes off the Pegasus statue outside the front window. "What in Equestria does that mean?" Midnight asked. "'Lonely assassins they used to be called." The Doctor started, "Nopony knows where they came from, but they're as old as the universe, or very nearly." "They have the best defensive system in the universe." Colgate began, "They're quantum locked." "Nope. You lost me." Midnight said. "They don't exist when they're being observed, the moment they are seen by any other living creature they literally turn to stone." Colgate concluded, adding, "Don't take your eyes off that." She said, pointing to the statue behind the counter. "Don't blink," The Doctor started, "Don't even blink. Blink and you’re dead. They are fast, faster than you can believe. Don't turn your head, don't look away, and don't blink." > Don't Blink > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Don't blink." I mumbled, "How hard can that be?" I was wrong in every way. I blinked once, and the Pegasus was three feet in front of me. I was so scared, but I didn't show it. All I could do was trust the two time traveling ponies, one of them being my marefriend. "Doctor?" I asked, “I’m still lost.” "You can’t kill a stone.” He started, “Of course, a stone can’t kill you either. Then you turn your head away, then you blink, and oh yes it can.” "Can't we run back to the TARDIS?" I started, "You said they absorbed time energy, right? So if we lure them away from town, we could make them stare at eachother. After all, there are only six statues." "You make a fair point." Colgate began, "Doctor, do you think this plan is possible?" "Quite possibly." The Doctor stated. "Can we run now?" I asked, starting to shudder. "Now!" The Doctor yelled. All three of us broke into a run. I completely forgot about everything else except that my life was on the line. Remembering what the Doctor said, I started running faster. Luckily for us, my house wasn't so far away. The TARDIS was still parked in the backyard, so I was glad nothing happened to it. The Doctor opened the doors, and I was speechless. "It's..." I started. "Say it." The Doctor began, "I love it when they say it." "Bigger... on the inside?" I started, being confused. "A very long story." Colgate concluded. "Thanks Colgate." I replied. "Doctor, I think you broke him." Colgate responded. “He’ll be back with us in a moment.” The Doctor stated, flipping some levers. The TARDIS made some strange noises, and then it stopped. “We’re here.” The Doctor grimly stated. “Where is ‘here’?” I asked. “When the Pegasi first arrived here,” The Doctor stated, “The first time I met you.” > The Message > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fifteen Years Ago “What are you doing?” The grey unicorn asked curiously. “I’m scanning this crack in your wall.” The Doctor explained, “Ah. Just as I thought.” “What is it?” Midnight asked. “A time crack. It connects two points in a universe, or multiple universes that shouldn’t be connected.” The Doctor explained. “How do we fix it?” Midnight asked. “We wait a little while longer, and if it gets worse, we have to think extreme measures.” The Doctor stated, “But now, I have to make a test run on the TARDIS.” “You can’t just leave me!” Young Midnight complained. “I will be five minutes. I promise.” The Doctor said. The TARDIS made some strange noises, and disappeared. Then it returned after a minute. Out of the TARDIS came the Doctor, an older Colgate, and an older him. “This is where it get’s complicated.” Older Midnight said. “You’re... Me.” Colt Midnight said in disbelief. “Like I said, complicated.” Older Midnight stated. “Anyway, we need to see the time crack.” The Doctor stated. “We need to seal the crack.” Colgate said. “But that would take a massive explosion-” Midnight began. “Like the opening of the Pandorica.” Colgate finished. “Which opened up in 420 C.E” The Doctor stated. “That’s what River meant!” Colgate exclaimed. “River, as in River Song?” Midnight asked. “Yes, why? What did she say?” The Doctor asked. “You know, I’m still here.” Young Midnight complained. They walked up to Midnight’s room. Midnight had a sudden flash of memories that he totally forgot about. Anything that get’s too close to these cracks will never have existed. He had a sudden flash of two unicorns. He thought quietly to himself as the Doctor scanned the cracks. “Not good.” He complained. “Is that what I think it is?” Colgate asked. “If you’re thinking that this crack links Equestria to Alfava Metraxis, then you’re good.” The Doctor stated. “That’s the planet that the Pegasi live on?” Midnight asked. “Yes.” The Doctor began, “River gave us a message.” “She said ‘See you when the Pandorica opens.’” Colgate explained. “She told me that the other day back in the present.” Midnight explained. “Looks like we need to head back to four hundred and twenty, C.E.” The Doctor stated. “What about me?” Young Midnight asked. “Don’t worry, kid.” I began, “You’ll go through a lot in the next fifteen years.” “Come on Midnight!” The Doctor exclaimed. We arrived back at the TARDIS, and the Doctor started flicking levers. The TARDIS started making noises and lurched forward. “We’re here.” The Doctor stated. > The Noise > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the three landed in what looked like a field that would be known as Ponyville, they stepped out of the TARDIS. As they stepped out, a Roman guard came up to the three ponies. The guards didn’t look like anyone they had ever seen. Instead of the usual Canterlot guard outfits, they had bows attached to their saddlebags on one side, and on the other, they each carried an iron sword. “Hail Caesar!” One of the guards yelled and bowed down at the Doctor. “You’re only a pony.” He plainly stated and gestured for the guard to rise, “What’s the status report?” “Cleopatra would like to speak with you.” The second guard stated then gestured the group of time travelling ponies to follow them into the camp. “Cleopatra?” Midnight asked the Doctor, clearly confused, “Isn’t Cleopatra dead by this point?” “Hm.. Yes.” He mumbles, then he pulls out his sonic screwdriver and messes with it in his hooves. “I think we should follow the guards to see what’s going on…” Colgate and Midnight followed the Doctor and the two guards to a tent in the center of the Roman camp. Inside the tent, there was a mare who looked like a queen. She had two earth ponies and a blue unicorn with a beard at her hooves. The two earth ponies were fanning the queen pony, and she was discussing something with the unicorn. When the Doctor and his two companions trotted into the tent, she immediately stopped talking to the unicorn and directed her attention to the Doctor. “Hello sweetie.” She politely said to the Doctor. Midnight and Colgate just stared at the queen. “River?” The Doctor asked the queen and then he trotted up close to her and said, “You nearly broke time to deliver a message.” “You wouldn’t answer your phone.” She replied back in a somewhat dark tone. “Wait a minute…” Midnight said as he scratches his head with his forehoof, “You’re the mare who told me the date.” “Shh.” She replied to Midnight and put a hoof to his mouth, “Spoilers.” The Doctor turned to Midnight and Colgate with a serious look on his face, “Guys. This is River Song.” He turned back to River, "River, this is Midnight,” He then turns towards the dentist unicorn, “and this is Colgate.” “Nice to meet you, again.” Midnight plainly stated as he rubbed his temples with a hoof. “I will meet you.” River said to Midnight, “Hasn’t happened yet.” Midnight turned to the Doctor for clarification. “Oh yeah..” He chuckled then turned towards Midnight, “River and I never meet in the right order. Her past is my..” He paused for a moment, “Future.” “Oh…” Midnight replied, clearly more lost than ever, “Nope. I’m lost.” As soon as Colgate was about to say something, all the ponies in the tent heard a loud noise outside. “Here we go.” The Doctor said. It came out muffled because he had his sonic screwdriver in his mouth. > The Museum > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- “What happened?” The light brown colt with a stunning green tie asked the mare with a blonde mane with a confused look on his face. “I think it’s best to show you.” She replied flatly as the painting opens up to a secret hallway, “Welcome to the Under Gallery.” While those two ponies and young Minuette trotted down the secret hallway behind the painting, one of the employee’s ear pieces rang quietly. This stallion in particular was a white coated pegasus pony with a royal blue mane, and stunning blue eyes. This employee’s name is Aqua Glide. “Hello?” Aqua asked the other pony on the phone. As the colt got a response, he looked down at the phone. “That’s not possible, I was just…” He was cut off as the pony on the other end of the call spoke, “Understood sir. But why would I take it there?” As the three ponies trotted into the room, a glowing sand cyclone appeared in the corner. “Oh no!” The Doctor looked at the cyclone and panics, “Not now, I’m busy!” Minuette looked at the Doctor and then up at the liquid-looking cyclone with confusion, “What is that?” The Doctor looked back at Minuette as he frowned, “This is where I come in.” The Doctor galloped into the cyclone and jumped into it. “ALLONS-Y!” > Doctor Who...? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Back in time, the four heroes galloped out of the tent. The grey stallion looked up at the in-air cyclone that looked like it was made of sand from their point of view. “What is that…?” He mumbled to himself as he waved his sonic screwdriver and his jaw dropped. He turned to the other three ponies in panic, “Stay back!” “Why?” Midnight asked with a confused look on his muzzle. “It’s a time fissure,” He began, putting his glasses on, “A rip in the universe. Anything could happen!” Right as he finished his out-loud thought process, a brown stallion flops onto the ground from out of the fissure. The Doctor instantly pulled out his sonic as the brown stallion spoke. The brown stallion and the grey stallion looked at each other in confusion as they paced in circles, still retaining eye contact with each other. The brown stallion looked younger than the Doctor himself, and he was getting a little worried. “Who are you…?” The brown Doctor looked at the grey Doctor in confusion. “You’re not…” The grey Doctor looked over the brown Doctor with a concerned look. “No…” The brown Doctor pulled his screwdriver out and looked at the grey Doctor with a look of confusion, “Hello Doctor.” The two Doctors looked at each other in confusion then smiled at one another. “Well… I’m compensating.” The brown Doctor looked at the grey Doctor with a frown. “For what?” The grey Doctor replied to the brown Doctor. “Regeneration. Its a lottery.” The brown Doctor replied “Oh!” The grey Doctor sarcastically remarked, “I’m the Doctor, and I’m all cool!” Colgate looked at the grey Doctor, then the brown Doctor and casually asks, “Where are you now, Doctor?” The brown Doctor looked at Colgate and grinned, “Minuette!” “Shh!” The toothpaste maned mare frowned, “Don’t call me that! Nopony is supposed to know my name!” “Well, except for me.” Midnight casually remarked, and Colgate nudged him with a smile on her face. The brown Doctor looked at Midnight in confusion, “Who are you, if you don’t mind my asking?” “The name’s Shine.” Midnight began, “Midnight Shine.” The brown Doctor looked at the grey Doctor and chuckles, “You picked up another one?” “Met him when he was a colt.” The grey Doctor remarked, “First face this face saw.” While they started talking amongst themselves, they didn’t notice the fissure was multiplying in size. River Song rolled her eyes, and shot her gun into the air. As the four other ponies silenced themselves, she spoke. “Here’s the question.” River began, “Why are you both together? Why are you two here?” The brown Doctor looked at the grey Doctor with a straight face, “That is a very interesting question. Why ARE we here exactly?” As the five ponies started chatting outside, somepony spoke from inside the time fissure. “Doctor, you still there?” The voice was a younger Minuette. As she heard her own voice, she gasped and wrapped her hooves around Midnight. “Yeah, yeah.” The brown Doctor replied. “Where’d you land?” Young Minuette asked the brown Doctor. “Where are we?” The brown Doctor turned to the grey Doctor with a confused look. “England. Four-hundred twenty.” The grey Doctor spoke up into the fissure. “Who’re you talking to?” Minuette asked the brown Doctor. “Myself.” Both Doctors replied in unison and looked at each other with a cocky grin on their muzzles. Midnight spoke up, “Wait.. That’s Colgate up there?” The brown Doctor looked at Midnight and replied, “Yes. Its Minuette-- er, Colgate. Same one as right there.” He pointed to Colgate, “But at a different point in time.” “Aww!” Midnight chuckled and grinned, “Colgate sounds soooooooo cute!” “Time and a place!” Colgate whispered to Midnight and playfully nudged him. Before anything else could happen, both of the Doctors turned towards the time fissure, and noticed it became active. “Get back!” The two Doctors shouted, but a little too late. The fissure started sparking, and it started acting like a cyclone, sucking the two Doctors, Midnight, and Colgate into the endless spiral. > The Plan > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After what seemed like an infinite amount of time, the fissure spat the four ponies into an unfamiliar area. The fissure had spit them out in an open cavern with some colourful crystal spires. The two Doctors pulled out their sonic screwdrivers and waved them around. “Composition of the rocks says we’re under Canterlot..” The brown Doctor muttered. “Right.” The grey Doctor agreed, “So.. Is now a good time to find a route out of here?” “I’m in agreement with you, Doctor.” Midnight said, mostly to himself. Midnight looked around at the others, and their surroundings. The crystals were as large as a Draconequus, or about the size of three (or more) ponies. Mid heard unfamiliar sounds and turned back to the Doctor with a slight look of panic on his face. “Doctor?” Midnight asked cautiously, “Was that…?” “Yes, that sounded like Twilight Sparkle…” The grey Time Pony muttered and looked at his past incarnation, “You had adventures with Twilight. Did she ever tell you anything like this?” “Well, actually…” The light brown Time Pony said to the grey one, “Now that I’m thinking about it, she did tell me something like this… Changelings? Maybe.” “Great, that places this about two years ago.” Midnight retorted sarcastically. “How do you figure?” The brown Time Pony stopped in his place and turned around to closely look at Midnight. “From my point in time,” Midnight began and took a couple of deep breaths, his heartbeat starting to increase, “Two years ago, Prince Shining Armour and Princess Cadence got married here in Canterlot. There was a Changeling invasion at the time…” “Are you neglecting to say something?” The grey Time Pony placed a hoof on Midnight’s shoulder. “No…” Midnight sighed, “Well, maybe. I dunno. I don’t really remember…” “Maybe it’ll come back?” Minuette chimed in with a hopeful glint in her eyes. “Maybe it’s just lost in the past…” Midnight sighed, and his ears perked up. He then looked directly at you, the reader, “Either that is the best one-liner or that’s just some foreshadowing…” > The Battle > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- “You will never get away with this!” The voice of an angered and scared Twilight Sparkle can be heard by the four ponies in the labyrinth of crystals. “Oh, but I already have!” The voice of someone who sounded like Princess Cadence, but didn’t at the same time. The ponies could not see the other being due to the obstacle of the crystals. “We’ve got to help them!” Midnight chimed in and looked at the grey Time Pony with a worried expression appearing on his face. “No, Midnight. We must let events play out the way they were intended to…” The grey Time Pony frowned at Midnight and then turned towards the younger version of himself, “I noticed that you have Captain Jack’s vortex manipulator. Can you take Midnight up to the Castle to scout around for any extra resources?” “On it.” The younger Doctor grabbed Midnight’s hoof and pressed a button on the wristwatch-looking device. Before Midnight could say anything, the two ponies were in a library. “What was that…?” A new, but familiar voice can be heard in the library. In this specific library, the blinds were shut and the skylight was closed. The younger Doctor looked at Midnight who had slid behind a bookshelf. “What’re you doing?” The younger Doctor asked Midnight as he peeped his head out to the other side, quickly retracting it. “That’s me. Two years ago.” Midnight concluded with a worried expression, “With all of this time travelling and such, won’t we create a paradox or something?!” “Not if this is how the events already played out in history…” The younger Doctor replied to Midnight, and the Doctor quickly scanned around the room. He then pressed a button on his wristwatch, grabbed Midnight’s hoof, and then flashed down to the basement. The young Doctor looked at the older Doctor and frowned slightly, “There’s only one exit. That will take us into the Royal Gardens.” “How do we get there…?” The older Doctor wondered aloud, and that’s when the younger Twilight Sparkle galloped in our direction and nearly tackled the brown-furred Time Pony. “Doctor!” She pleaded, motioning to a seemingly lifeless, pink furred body laying in the rocks, “Cadence is unconscious, and the Royal Wedding is in less than an hour! I need your help!” “Calm down, Miss Twilight.” The young Doctor relaxingly smiled and trotted over to the lifeless body. He pulled out his blue-tipped sonic screwdriver and scanned what appeared to be Princess Cadence to Midnight. The Doctor turned back to Twilight with a confident grin, “She’ll wake in a moment. She can help get all of us out of here. We’re in some big trouble with the-” “Changelings, I know.” Twilight cut the Doctor off and glanced in Minuette, the older Doctor, and Midnight’s direction. She took a minute to look at the grey Time Pony and then looked back at the brown Time Pony, “There’s two of you?” “I’m from his future.” The grey Time Pony replied to Twilight with a cocky smile, “But listen, we need to get out of here.” “Ugh…” Quiet moaning could be heard in the distance, and Twilight rushed to the pink Alicorn’s side. “Cadence! Please wake up!” Twilight pleaded, then turned around to give the younger Doctor puppy-dog eyes, “Are you sure she’ll be okay?” “Twilight…” Cadence muttered, then stood up to look at the rest of the group, “Alright… two Time Ponies, and two normal ponies. We must get up to the castle!” “Yeah, about that…” Midnight sheepishly chimed in, “We need to find a way to get up there… A route that I maybe won’t run into my past self again?” Cadence shakes her head, “If we hurry, we can stop the reception!” After a few moments of wandering, the six ponies found a passage leading up to the surface world of Canterlot. The two Doctors struck up a topic of conversation about their past, Twilight and Cadence talked about Cadence’s soon-to-be husband, otherwise known as Twilight’s older brother. After about ten minutes of galloping and magical draining of some of the ponies, the six of them found themselves outside the chapel. “Here’s the plan,” Twilight and Cadence spoke up, “Cadence and I will charge in there, and you, Doctors, will find the TARDIS. Get Midnight and Minuette home to their current timelines. Let history play out the way it should.” “On it.” Both Doctors nodded, and dragged Minuette and Midnight with them to search the streets of Canterlot. After about ten minutes of searching, the two Doctors located a TARDIS one a street corner, but they had worse issues at hand. The changeling drones managed to break down the magical barrier that shielded Canterlot. Suddenly there were Drones all around the four of them. “Too many of them…!” The Doctors, Minuette, and Midnight climbed into the one TARDIS and activated flight mode. The TARDIS lurched forward and quickly materialised in the main hall of the castle. As the four ponies came out of the TARDIS, they were just in time to see the six Elements of Harmony form a rainbow tornado and wrap said tornado around the Changeling queen. Twilight glanced over at the younger Doctor with a look that read, “thank you.” The Doctors then pushed the two others back into the TARDIS. After what seemed like seconds, Midnight and Minuette stepped out onto Ponyville square. The grey Doctor pulled out his green-tipped sonic screwdriver and scanned the area, “Ponyville, present day.” He turned around to the brown Doctor and smiled, “Good luck, and thank you.” The younger Doctor said nothing, stepped back into his TARDIS and disappeared. The grey Doctor then smiled at the two ponies, “Well, I’d better do the same. Places to go, etcetera.” “Wait.” Midnight stopped the Doctor before he could have the chance to trot away, “Will we ever see you again?” “All in due time.” The Doctor smiled at the two ponies one last time and started to trot away. Now, where to next?